At first glance, nationalism and its modern offshoot, neo-nationalism, may seem like natural expressions of belonging—attachments to culture, land, and shared heritage. But when we look deeper, we see something more troubling: these ideologies are often built on myths, distortions, and feelings of superiority rooted in fiction.
The problem with nationalism is that it relies on a fabricated sense of identity. It draws sharp lines between “us” and “them,” often based on language, history, or ethnicity, pretending these boundaries are eternal and unquestionable. But history is messy. Cultures are fluid. Languages evolve. Borders shift. The “nation” people cling to is often more imagined than real.
Neo-nationalism is a modern, statist form of nationalism that defines the nation through shared language, culture, and secular values rather than ethnicity or religion. It promotes a unified identity enforced by state institutions, often demanding conformity and cultural cohesion. While it may outwardly support diversity, including LGBTQ+ rights, this support is conditional—tolerated only when it aligns with the dominant national narrative, making expressions of individual identity subject to state approval and control. I wasn’t aware that your country was the only place with LGBTQ+ people in it, oh wow!
Why is this wrong? Because it convinces people to live in a lie. It encourages loyalty to an identity that was never fully theirs to begin with, shaped by selective memory and manipulated history. And worse, it can trap people in a superiority complex—believing they are “more” or “better” simply because of their supposed roots, instead of their choices, actions, or principles.
No one should be defined by arbitrary facts of birth. Identity, when based on fiction, becomes a cage. And feelings of belonging, when built on illusion, become weapons—used to exclude, to elevate, or to dominate.
True freedom begins when we shed the false narratives that nationalism promotes. It begins when we stop asking where someone comes from, and start asking who they are.
But individualism stands above both nationalism and neo-nationalism. Where these ideologies impose artificial belonging based on symbolic or cultural uniformity, individualism affirms the primacy of personal freedom, conscience, and choice. It does not ask people to dissolve themselves into a collective myth—it recognizes each human being as an end in themselves. Genuine community arises freely, not through imposed narratives. Real human dignity lies in individual liberty, not in the illusion of national identity.
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